Romans

Romans 16. Enjoy the Best of Jesus!

Posted on May 25, 2020May 24, 2020 by richlyspeaking

The setting sun behind Mt. Arbel, along the Sea of Galilee. Jesus prayed here with his followers.

You may play today’s devotional message here. (4:43)

Romans 16.

Congratulations! We’ve read through Romans together. So much we have learned about God’s plan for us and His grace. And, about Paul.

This is a full chapter of greetings to those in the church at Rome. Almost 30 people. And they are likely from more than one congregation. I’ve wondered about Peter. It seems his name is conspicuously absent? Tradition says he was the first Pope in Rome. But that’s a conversation for another day. I do love that Paul calls out by name many women who love and serve God. I think that’s significant. Think about Paul as a former pharisee. His old tradition would likely not have given much attention to the women of the synagogue. I believe this acknowledgment is evidence of real life transformation in his new walk with the Messiah!

He also includes a warning to watch out for those who say they follow the Master, but who’s actions are deceptive. And he affirms their obedient discipleship. They are following his call to spiritual maturity (which we talked about yesterday): I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil. (v19, CEV).

My big takeaway from today’s reading: “Enjoy the best of Jesus!” (v20, MSG.) What a great way to conclude a letter!

He states again the reason he has written this dispatch. And it is a source of strength for us all:

Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen. (v 25-27, CEV).

“Enjoy the best of Jesus!”

What is this Good News? Let’s review the Gospel Message along this Romans Road, a map to our salvation through the pages of this single letter:

1. The Human Condition — We are all sinners.

All of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it: There’s nobody living right, not even one, nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. They’ve all taken the wrong turn; they’ve all wandered down blind alleys. No one’s living right; I can’t find a single one. (Romans 3:9-10, MSG).

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, NIV).

Sin pays off with death. (Romans 6:23a, CEV).

2. We Have Hope — Thanks to Jesus. “But God…”

But God’s gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23b, CEV).

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8, NLT).

3. Our Response — Calling Out to Jesus.

If you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be delivered. For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgement and thus continues toward deliverance. (Romans 10:9-10, CJB).

“Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.” (Romans 10:13, MSG).

4. The Result of Salvation — Peace and Grace.

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. (Romans 5:1, CEV).

So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus.For the power of the life-giving Spirit—and this power is mine through Christ Jesus—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2, NLT).

It’s our power too!

I’ve really appreciated your joining me on this journey. Thank you! Looking back over my journal, I want to go back to Chapter 1 and start it all over again!

Enjoy the best of Jesus today!

RichlySpeaking.com

Romans 15. Uncontainable joy! Perfect peace! That’s maturity.

Posted on May 23, 2020May 22, 2020 by richlyspeaking

Uncontainable joy! Perfect peace! That’s maturity.

Spiritual maturity is God’s goal for us. May I ask you frankly, how are you doing in that area? Are you growing deeper in your personal relationship with Jesus every day? I’m asking myself that question as well. Maturity is a common theme in Paul’s letters. He challenges us to focus on spiritual maturity in five other letters: 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Timothy! We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. (Colossians 1:28, MSG).

We are designed by God Himself to grow into greater spiritual maturity each day; not to merely tread water. How do we grow? Through the power of the Holy Spirit! Peace. Joy. Hope. Strength. Love.

Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope! (v13, TPT).

Uncontainable joy! Perfect peace! Trusting God. That’s maturity. And you will shine with a waterfall of unshakable hope through the Holy Spirit.

As Paul begins to wrap this letter up, I love the glimpse into the humanness of who he is. He sums up his evangelistic travels, noting with a small touch of pride in Jesus the depth of the message he has preached far and wide: The text of the messages I preached: Those who were never told of Him, they’ll see Him. Those who’ve never heard of Him, they’ll get the message. (v21, MSG). Again, he’s quoting Isaiah (Chapter 52) and it’s a quote that even Jesus uses often: “To him who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

So, are you listening? Am I listening? Sh’ma! Hear! Listen. Act. Obey. Mature.

That’s the whole point, isn’t it? I believe the reason for living is all about seeing, knowing, and experiencing God.

(c) 2020. Rich Ronald.
RichlySpeaking.com

Romans 14. Never Be Without Love.

Posted on May 21, 2020May 20, 2020 by richlyspeaking

Earlier this year, we took a journey together through the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Paul, as a learned rabbi and the author of the letter to the church at Rome, quoted regularly from the Prophet. So, let’s take the next few weeks together to look at the New Testament book of Romans.

You may listen to today’s devotional blog by clicking the link above.

Romans 14.

Paul is such a great orator, even with his pen. He gives multiple sides of a situation, then brings the final decision to the place that lines up with the Scriptures. Eat this or that. Take this day for a sabbath or that one. Don’t judge your brother. Don’t be condescending to your sister. For, in the end, we will each stand before God. HE is God! He’s got this. He is worthy to be worshipped!

Here’s the passage of his conclusion, from the prophet Isaiah:

God, Creator of the heavens— he is, remember, God. Maker of earth— he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn’t go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This God says: “I am God, the one and only. I don’t just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.’ I am God. I work out in the open, saying what’s right, setting things right. So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don’t seem to know much, do they— those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick? So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what’s going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn’t I the one? God? It had to be me. I’m the only God there is— The only God who does things right and knows how to help. So turn to me and be helped—saved!— everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am God, the only God there is, the one and only. I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in God!’” All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief. And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in God! (Isaiah 45:18‭-‬24, MSG). For more on Isaiah 45, go here.

Three times in Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life.” (Matthew 6:34, NIV). Sarah Young’s interpretation of Jesus’ words, from Jesus Calling: “You need not fear the future for I am already there.” Wow! Such a powerful promise!

God is God. We need not worry. But you say, “I’m sick.” Or “I lost my job.” Or “My marriage is a wreck.” Or… I will say it again, as Paul did. God is God. Turn to him and be helped.

As you do, be sure to do so with love. In another letter The Missionary says it like this: So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. (Colossians 3:12‭-‬14, MSG).

The way we live is to be consistent with what we believe.

Just like in Romans 13, Paul continues to encourage love over all else. Many in that day were holding up their good works, like worshipping on a special day or eating kosher, in a higher place than love. He urges us all the way we live is to be consistent with what we believe. If we believe in grace, have accepted Jesus’ grace, we are to offer His grace.

God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you. (Romans 14:17‭-‬18, MSG).

Love others with His love today. Never be without love.

Romans 13. You Can’t Go Wrong When You Start With Love.

Posted on May 19, 2020 by richlyspeaking

You may listen to today’s devotional blog here.

Romans 13.

Yesterday, Paul encouraged us in our relationships with others. Today’s Word highlights our relationship with authorities and governments, where we are to invest with the mind of Christ.

Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. (v1, CEV).

This can be tricky when the rulers over us put their own personal agenda ahead of God’s agenda for our communities. Yet, there are countless examples of poor leaders in the Bible. Kings who did evil fill the pages of Old Testament history. And yet God still delivered His people. God still gave His one and only Son at just the right time. I believe we can obey even evil rulers, or maybe even those whose politics differ from ours, and yet work to bring about God’s perfect will at the same time. Martin Luther King, Jr. may have said it best and most succinctly: “The time is always right to do what is right.” I often instructed my own kids when they were teenagers with similar words of wisdom, “If you don’t know which choice to make, make the right one.”

Doing what is right is key, especially when it is done in love. Paul says: Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. (v8, MSG). And then the Apostle adds: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love. (v10, MSG).

Paul, the former Pharisee, the scholarly Jew, has the Shema in mind here, doesn’t he? Every day he likely rolled off of his sleeping mat, looked heavenward first thing in the morning and said this prayer: “O Israel, listen: Jehovah is our God, Jehovah alone. You must love him with all your heart, soul, and might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, CJB). But love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:9, NIV). Paul may have even heard the disciples quoting the story of Jesus being asked about the greatest commandment. The Messiah first quotes directly from Deuteronomy, then from Leviticus. (see Matthew 22:35-40 and Mark 12:28-34). For Moses and Jesus both, it’s all about love. As it is for Paul. As it is for you and me.

You can’t go wrong when you love others.

Next, there is a warning and an encouraging word or two:

Night’s darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon. We must live honorably, surrounded by the light of this new day, not in the darkness of drunkenness and debauchery, not in promiscuity and sensuality, not being argumentative or jealous of others. Instead be fully clothed with the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, and don’t waste even a moment’s thought on your former identity to awaken its selfish desires. (v12-14, TPT).

Another translation says it this way: Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear. Then you won’t try to satisfy your selfish desires. (v 14, CEV).

Love others well today! Make the right choices. And know that Jesus is always with you!

Romans 12. How To Be Changed From the Inside Out.

Posted on May 18, 2020May 17, 2020 by richlyspeaking

You may listen to this devotional blog here.

Earlier this year, we took a journey together through the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Paul, as a learned rabbi and the author of the letter to the church at Rome, quoted regularly from the Prophet. So, let’s take the next few weeks together to look at the New Testament book of Romans.

Romans 12.

I’m not sure about you, but some scriptures remind me of certain people. Romans 12 will forever be associated with a sweet couple who were our life group leaders about ten years ago. There aren’t too many people on this planet with as much grace as these two. This is one of my favorite passages as it reads in The Message:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:1-2, MSG).

Place your life before God, everything about your life. You’ll be changed from the inside out. You will be transformed as you rise above the messiness of the world’s ways and prioritize God’s plan.

The Passion Translation says “Live in holiness experiencing all that delights His heart.” Can we make it our goal to delight His heart? Not with works, nor a tally where we keep score. Rather, just to live every single day as if we are serving God, because we are. Paul’s reminder of these actions is noted in another letter. “Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23-24, TPT).

This also reminds me of Deuteronomy 6:6. The Old Testament Torah encourages us to teach our children God’s law, the Sh’ma, at all times of the day, every day… when you’re waking up, walking along the road, riding bikes in the park, sitting at the dinner table, going to bed… at all times and all the time.

Place your life before God, everything about your life. You’ll be changed from the inside out.

The second half of Romans 12 is worth highlighting the whole text! Paul is being very “Solomon-esque” with short, little proverbs to encourage flourishing interconnectedness in our relationships. Each thought is written to encourage our getting along with others. Here’s a delightful list of beautiful things to do today. For yourself. And for each other. It’s very poetic, actually.

Love.

Run.

Hold on.

Love.

Practice.

Be fueled up.

Be alert.

Be expectant.

Pray.

Help.

Host creatively.

Bless.

Laugh.

Cry.

Get along.

Make friends.

Discover beauty.

I continue to be reminded about the context of these readers. First Century Rome was very much like 21st Century New York City. It was the center of the world, filled with great opulence and excess. Likely also filled with great poverty and depression. Healthy relationships in that kind of environment, especially, are key to happiness and life fulfillment. Our role in this world can be summed up in this one directive: “Never let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, TPT).

While this may seem impossible, with the grace of Jesus redeeming us and the power of the Holy Spirit in us, this is not hypothetical! So, do not be discouraged. As the Evangelist noted a few chapters earlier, nothing will separate us from God’s love or His purpose. Today and throughout every day of our life!

© 2020. Rich Ronald.
RichlySpeaking.com

Romans 11. Jews And Gentiles are God’s Children.

Posted on May 17, 2020May 16, 2020 by richlyspeaking

You may listen to today’s devotional blog here.

Romans 11.

Paul has an interesting observation about people, specifically the people of Israel. Here they are, God’s chosen children and it seems that most of them didn’t want to be chosen. It’s a burden too heavy to carry. Ah, but the few who accepted it? They are living out their God-given purpose! They let God pursue His interests in them and as a result received His stamp of legitimacy. (Romans 11:7, MSG).

That’s our prayer, isn’t it? I want to be truly authentic in letting God’s grace and purpose be revealed in me and through me. I want to have the courage to always say, as Jesus did in the garden, “Not my will but your will be done.” (Luke 22:42, NASB).

What does the rest of verse 7 say? This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And the rest of them were stubborn. (Romans 11:7, CEV).

That’s really sad, isn’t it? How many people today are so rigid in their beliefs that they can’t see God’s grace? How often am I? Personally, I do not want to be so stubborn or pretend that I’m following God for my own selfish reasons. I want to fully embrace His grace and purpose! Even today! How about you?

Paul continues with a very familiar word picture of how we Gentiles can become as precious to God as His chosen people, the Israelites. It is by being grafted in. The Apostle says we are grafted in to show the Jews the way back to God.

Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous. (Romans 11:11, CEV).

If you were to take a walk just about anywhere in most of Israel, you will see some amazing olive trees. What is really fascinating is that they sometimes send up new shoots far away from the main trunk. And those shoots can ultimately become strong trees, sometimes even stronger than the main tree. Why is that? Even shoots that are far from an existing tree are connected below ground to the main roots. It’s kind of wild to see. There’s also a process called “grafting.” Even different kinds of tree shoots can be connected to an olive tree and given a new life! Paul says this is like non-Jews becoming as close to the Father’s heart as His chosen children. And that will cause the Jews to want to come back to God.

You see, God goes to supernatural means to get everyone connected to His love and life! Both Gentiles and Jews!

I love how Paul concludes this mystifying example:

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes. (Romans 11:33-36, MSG — quoting from Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11).

Everything, every person, finds their ultimate fulfillment in and through God and God alone.

You might find this blog post of interest regarding Jesus as the “shoot” of Jesse, from Isaiah 11.

Romans 10. Salvation is Simple. Really. It is.

Posted on May 15, 2020May 14, 2020 by richlyspeaking

You can listen to this devotional here.

Romans 10

Another stop along the Romans Road today. You might recall, there are a number of verses that lead us along the path of salvation in this letter from Paul to the believers in Rome.

The first marker is the Human Condition and that we are all sinners — Romans 3:23 and 6:23.

We then learn that God’s Plan for all of us is the hope we have in Jesus — Romans 5:8.

Today’s signpost is often referred to as the Sinner’s Response.

We always have a choice. Even in this crazy season we’re in right now. We can opt to stay at home on the couch in our sweatpants and eat lots of junk food. Or, we can do things that make a real difference in our world.

No one who trusts God

will ever regret it.

What is the faith response after realizing that we need a savior and that Jesus is that Savior? If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9, NIV). It’s that simple! It’s all about believing it and speaking it.

Have you noticed how many times Paul quotes the Old Testament here in Romans? He certainly knew his Torah!

Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this – heart and soul – will ever regret it.” (v11, MSG). I loved this verse even before I looked to see where it was in the Old Testament. Deep in my heart, I trust God. I know I’m His son and He’ll never leave me nor forsake me. I’ve never regretted following Jesus.

But what’s really cool here is the additional layer of the context… Paul quotes Isaiah 28. Here we discover the part of the Trinity that we are trusting is Jesus. And so the Lord says, “I’m laying a firm foundation for the city of Zion. It’s a valuable cornerstone proven to be trustworthy; no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed. (Isaiah 28:16, CEV).

The Psalmist, Paul, and Peter all mention Isaiah’s Cornerstone. Dig into the ritual of laying a cornerstone at a city gate or a building in the Ancient Days and you discover that the ceremony often included the shedding of blood, a sacrifice. Typically, from a lamb. Jesus, as Zion’s Cornerstone, is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy! Whoa! Paul affirms here in Romans that because Jesus laid down His life for you and me, we can trust Him! And this is the Cornerstone of the city of Jerusalem!

Men and women will disappoint us and we will disappoint others. But, as we follow Jesus, we will never be disappointed in the selfless Cornerstone!

Continuing our look at today’s signpost along the Roman Road. What is our response to our need for salvation? Paul says it like this:

It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” (v9-10, MSG).

And then, the cherry on top, the very simple act of faith, from the prophet Joel: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”(v13, NIV. Joel 2:32).

You can see that the Evangelist takes seriously the importance of sharing this Good News. Everyone has a response upon hearing it. But despite Paul’s best efforts, and countless preachers thereafter, not everyone chooses.

You can hear the anguish in the Apostle’s voice at both the outset, and the conclusion of the chapter: “Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.” (v1, CEV).

And Isaiah said about the people of Israel, “All day long the Lord has reached out to people who are stubborn and refuse to obey.” (v21, CEV. Isaiah 65:2).

It’s no wonder Jesus regularly said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 is the first of six times).

Romans 9. Grace Means We Are God’s Children.

Posted on May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 by richlyspeaking

He cares for us and we can rest in His arms.

Paul quotes one of the minor prophets next:

Hosea put it well:
I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies;
I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved.
In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!”
they’re calling you “God’s living children.” (v 25, MSG). Hosea 2:23

Paul then quotes Isaiah:

Isaiah maintained this same emphasis:
If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered
and the sum labeled “chosen of God,”
They’d be numbers still, not names;
salvation comes by personal selection.
God doesn’t count us; he calls us by name.
Arithmetic is not his focus. (v27-28, MSG). Isaiah 10:22-23.

And arithmetic need not be our focus either. Things don’t always add up in life. As long as we keep our focus on God and His grace, we don’t need to worry about anything else! We are His children. He’s got this!

Paul concludes his thoughts on the subject:

How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together:

Careful! I’ve put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can’t get around. But the stone is me! If you’re looking for me, you’ll find me on the way, not in the way. (v30-33, MSG). Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16.

That’s a promise that I want to fully embrace! He is walking with us. Following Jesus is not a stumbling block! He doesn’t slow us down. Following Him is not an obstacle or wall to be climbed over. He is the stone that leads us along the path. I think when we fully embrace that He is with us “on the way,” we can have an amazing confidence that wherever we walk, we will be okay. We have nothing to fear. In fact, we will be more than okay, because the very presence of God is with us!

Remember this:

“At the place where they yelled out “You’re a nobody!” they are now calling you “Children of the living God!”

(c) 2020. Rich Ronald.

RichlySpeaking.com

Today, I’m attaching this worship song from Bethel Worship because it mirrors our text.

https://youtu.be/XxkNj5hcy5E

Romans 8. Part 2. There is Hope Because There is Love.

Posted on May 13, 2020May 13, 2020 by richlyspeaking

Romans 8:18-39

We all love a good story of suffering, don’t we? Aren’t we quick to tell others about the time it rained every single day of the vacation? Or about the widow down the street who is going through one misfortune after another following the death of her husband? Why is that? I can think of at least two reasons. The first is that we all go through pain and affliction in our lifetime. It comes with being human. We can all relate. Secondly, I believe that we all have a deep-seated hope for happy endings, for the triumph that follows defeat.

Paul opens this passage with the confirmation that there is glory and victory ahead, not just for us, but for all of creation. “That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next.” (Romans 8:18-19, MSG). Doesn’t that paint a picture of what we all have experienced this year? We can’t wait for the end of all this bad news. The Word assures us of eventual freedom ahead.

_________________________________________________________________________

God’s love will triumph over death and life’s troubles.

_________________________________________________________________________

And what a joyous freedom it will be! We are told the Holy Spirit of God, the very presence of the Father in the absence of the physical body of Jesus, is with us in our weakness. He even prays for us. (Now that’s a deep theological thought which we might ponder all day.) And through it all, God is in control, even when things seem to be total chaos.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV). This is where I hang my hat. This is why I trust God completely. No matter the calamity, no matter the strife, no matter the horrendous situation you might face, God is at work. He’s not sleeping. He hasn’t turned His back. He is orchestrating what is best for each one of us. “All things” means all things! Even during a worldwide pandemic.

This chapter offers one beautiful gift, one beautiful promise, after the other. I am thankful for God’s goodness, His grace, and that we are His children. He works for our good. He calls us by name. He stays with us to the very end, gloriously completing what He has begun.

Why? Why does God do this? Why does He care? Because He loves us so incredibly much.

Jesus is crazy in love with you! He’s in God’s throne room right this very minute asking the Father to take care of you, to meet your heart’s needs. He’s continually praying for our triumph! Our victory! Not just our survival or our just getting by. But for us to TRIUMPH! Wow!

“With God on our side like this, how can we lose?” (Romans 8:31, MSG).

How much does He love us? He gives us what we need to be not just conquerors, but Paul says we are “more than conquerors.” (Romans 8:37, NIV).

We can trust God because His of His love.

So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! (Romans 8:38-39, TPT).

How do we respond? Paul encourages us just a few chapters later: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, NIV). We are victors today! Even in the midst of our present suffering.

Romans 8. Part 1. “What’s Next, Papa?”

Posted on May 12, 2020May 13, 2020 by richlyspeaking

Romans 8. Here we go!

We concluded the previous chapter discussing our addiction to sin, caused by the Human Condition. Paul swings the door of God’s grace wide open here. Can it be any clearer than this: “If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2, CEV).

A new power is in operation! The Spirit clears the air and frees us! Jesus took on the mess of the world… and the mess that is our life. We embrace what the Spirit has done, and is doing, in us. God didn’t tinker around when He came up with the plan to redeem us. He sent Jesus to put sin to death permanently and completely. “God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all.” (Romans 8:3-4, MSG).

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You can’t go wrong when you love others.

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God’s love will triumph over death and life’s troubles.

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